Lynsey Crombie Queen of Clean shares easy houseplant cleaning hack

Dotting a few houseplants around a room is one of the easiest ways to make it feel homely. As well as regular watering, it's a good idea to dust them every now and then to help them to grow happily.

Lynsey Crombie, also known as the Queen of Clean, has shared a simple care and cleaning tip to keep plants dust-free. The cleaning expert posted her quick trick on Instagram, telling fans to save old paintbrushes and makeup brushes to use for dusting plants.

'It doesn’t take long for dust to build up on your houseplants,' Lynsey writes. 'When your windows are open, blown-in dust and debris on lower leaves are inevitable.'

'Don’t chuck your old makeup brushes or small paintbrushes away. Instead, recycle them and use them to keep the leaves delicately dust-free,' she says.

The houseplant cleaning hack works best on plants with long, thin leaves, such as the popular spider plant or a dragon tree. Using a brush will help gently remove dust and get into small gaps without disturbing the plant too much.

Cleaning fans headed to the comments to share their own houseplant cleaning hacks. 'Sounds slightly mad,' one comments, 'but I use my hairdryer! Put it on a gentle cool heat and it blows the dust off.'

'I give mine a shower so they get watered at the same time!' says a second. 'I tend to use wet kitchen towel to wipe all the leaves, takes longer but I enjoy it,' writes a third.

Dust gathers quickly on the surfaces of our homes, and our best houseplants are no exception. Even a thin layer of dust will form a barrier and make it harder for the plant to absorb sunlight. It can also block the leaves' pores.

Taking some time to give your plants a good clean will also mean you're more likely to spot any problems. Not only will your houseplant ideas look healthier, but you'll have been able to check for discoloured, drooping leaves.

Alternatively, you can use a damp cloth, which will make cleaning larger leaves much easier. Pick up a houseplant mister from Amazon as another way to keep leaves clean while maintaining humidity levels for moisture-loving species like rubber plants.

Are your plants ready to be cleaned?